Leading 'non-theist' aims to sway minds at GOP convention

Sunday

Aug 26, 2012 at 10:05 PM

Who is the oddest bedfellow at the Republican National Convention, which officially launches Monday? No, it's not Log Cabin Republicans, that group of gay Republicans who assiduously ignore the "Unwelcome" mat the party has put out for them. It would have to be Edwina Rogers, the new head of the Secular Coalition for America, a nonprofit group of atheists, agnostics and humanists.

Robyn Blumner

Who is the oddest bedfellow at the Republican National Convention, which officially launches Monday? No, it's not Log Cabin Republicans, that group of gay Republicans who assiduously ignore the "Unwelcome" mat the party has put out for them. It would have to be Edwina Rogers, the new head of the Secular Coalition for America, a nonprofit group of atheists, agnostics and humanists.

In addition to being a non-theist (her term for herself), she's a lifelong Republican. I hope for her sake that none of her fellow party members remember to bring the tar and feathers.

As an atheist myself, I have great hopes of Rogers' windmill tilting. Her organization represents a nascent but vital effort to give non-theists a voice in the halls of power at the state and federal level.

And if anyone can bore from within the crowd of good ol' GOP flag-wavers amassing in Tampa, Fla., it would be she.

Hailing from Alabama, with a law degree from Catholic University, Rogers was once general counsel to the National Republican Senatorial Committee. She spent time working for prominent Republican senators Trent Lott and Jeff Sessions.

The RNC is packed with her people, except that they probably all think she's going to hell. Several times within the last year, her evangelical family and friends ambushed her with full staged interventions trying to save her soul.

So far, no go.

Here is a Q & A with Rogers about atheism in public life, her organization, and her plans for the convention and beyond:

Q: There seem to be almost no atheists in public office. Do you know of any?

A: Yes, the coalition knows of 28 non-theist members of Congress, although only one, U.S. Representative Pete Stark, D-Calif., openly identifies as an atheist.

The reality is there are non-theists everywhere. We are your neighbors, your friends, your family members and, yes, possibly even your politicians. Just recently the United States, France and Canada joined Ireland on the top-10 list of countries that have experienced a "notable decline in religiosity." Since 2005, the number of people in the U.S. who self-identify as religious dropped a whopping 13 percent — now a full 40 percent of Americans don't consider themselves to be religious.

Another recent poll shows that 5 percent of Americans now openly identify as atheists — that means that atheists outnumber many religions in the United States, including Muslims, Jews, Mormons and Hindus.

Q: If so, why then is it nearly impossible to get elected as an atheist?

A: One of the biggest misconceptions is that atheists lack morals and "believe in nothing." I think this misconception leads to the general distrust many Americans have toward non-theists. The reality is that we don't base our morality on ancient religious texts, but rather on reason, science and compassion for our fellow humans. Almost every major religion is founded on ethics and morals like not killing, stealing and treating others as you wish to be treated. In our view, that is a humanistic outlook, not just an inherently religious one.

We are working toward a day when all lawmakers are elected on the basis of their stances on the issues, and not their personal religious beliefs — as our founders intended.

Q: How do you propose that the coalition go about making inroads with Republicans, a party that has made common cause with the Religious Right?

A: If we are going to affect legislation on Capitol Hill, we need to work with both sides. The fact is, there are millions of Republicans that feel the way I do about these issues, and if those millions of Republican voters have a voice, the politicians will listen.

What I am trying to do is increase the influence of secular Americans. At the convention, I will attend every event that I possibly can and speak to anyone who is open to hearing more about our mission.

Good luck, Edwina. It won't be easy to get the public to discard its entrenched prejudice against non-theists, but what a better country we'd have if you succeed.

blumner@sptimes.com.

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